1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a male terminal fitting including a tab at its leading end.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,733 discloses a male terminal fitting including a tab at its leading end. This terminal fitting has a box-shaped portion in the form of a rectangular tube connected to the rear end of the tab and a crimping portion in the form of an open barrel arranged behind the box-shaped portion. The box-shaped portion has an open rear end, and a tab of another terminal fitting may enter the box-shaped portion when a plurality of terminal fittings are transported or stored in a bundled state. If this occurs, there is a possibility that the tab cannot be pulled out or the tab and the box-shaped portion are deformed. As a countermeasure, an entrance preventing wall is provided to close an opening in the rear surface of the box-shaped portion in the terminal fitting of U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,733.
In the above terminal fitting, the entrance preventing wall is formed by bending a plate-like portion extending from the rear end edge of the upper wall of the box-shaped portion substantially at a right angle. However, a wire connected to the crimping portion is present behind the box-shaped portion. Thus, the tip of the tab presses the entrance preventing wall by contacting the entrance preventing wall obliquely. At this time, the tip of the tab is oriented toward an extending end of the entrance preventing wall and slides toward the extending end of the entrance preventing wall along the rear surface of the entrance preventing wall. The extending end of this entrance preventing wall is a free end not supported by another part. Thus, the entrance preventing wall is deformed obliquely forward by a pressing force from the tab, and the tab may enter the box-shaped portion.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to reliably prevent the entrance of a tab into a box-shaped portion.